Archive for February, 2012

So, I went to work Thursday morning. I sit my back on my desk and my big boss comes out of her office and asks me to come in. In a span of maybe 60 seconds I find out that my position is being terminated effective immediately (with a sweet two MONTH severance package). Stone-faced I move to my office and clean out my shit and move on. Meh. Whatever. Bigger and better things, right?

I mean, yeah it’s shitty to lose a job/become unemployed and as I spent the last few minutes in my office and realizing I’m now jobless the tears started to come. But again, meh.

So, from there I head to my old office (law firm) to see Angie-Whoreface and chat with the Old Guy and ask him to review my release forms. He mentions an available position to me at another business close by. Oddly enough, the position in question is being left by a friend of mine, TL (who trained me at my first law firm) and I had spoken to her about it briefly earlier in the week. But just for shits and giggles I mosey on over to her office, tell her the events of the morning and say “what-the-hell?” and leave a resume. Then off to Jaime’s at 10 in the morning for “sorry-you-lost-your-j0b cake”…and it was delicious! 🙂

Not too long after getting to Jaime’s I get a call from the office I’d just left my resume with. The partner said to me “What does your schedule look like?” and I replied “well, since I was laid off this morning it’s pretty clear!” To which he responded with a snort and laughter. We set up an interview for later that afternoon.

Once I arrived at the interview TL and I had a quick giggle over the events of the day and then I was called in for the actual meeting. The interview went GREAT!! And I was offered the position.

The next day (yesterday) I started my new job…once again with TL training me. Oh…did I forget to mention that yesterday was also her last day? (As she starts a new position on Monday.) Crazy. Anyway, it was a bit overwhelming to try and learn everything in one day….which did NOT happen…but it will work out. It’s a huge pay increase with education and opportunity for growth and advancement. AND I get to have lunches again with Angie-Whoreface. YAY!

Thursday was obviously filled with stress and anxiety. I didn’t sleep Thursday night and yesterday morning I had to take my anxiety meds when I dragged my tired ass out of bed because I could barely breathe. But it’s all good. Things work out for the best. I am looking forward to this new path.

But seriously? How many people does that happen to? Finding another job the SAME DAY you lose one? Awesome. The Big Guy has better plans for me. 🙂

Drew Barrymore has always been “My Woman!” I have loved her since her days as Gertie in E.T. I grew up with/watching/reading about her. About her work and her family and her struggles and her life. And, of course, her triumphs.

A Star is Born (courtesy of Fanpop)

I have such a girly crushon love for Drew Barrymore. I pick up every magazine with her gorgeous face on the cover (starting with my YMs from back in the day). I have a Drew doll. I have her book Little Girl Lost and gobbled it up the first time I read it. I have her movies and posters and think she is the shit! She is one of those people I just want to be friends with. I’m looking forward to the day where she and I will sit down and catch up like old friends do. It’s going to happen, dammit!! It is!!

On to the rest of my life, it’s been a long week and it’s only fricken’ Tuesday Wednesday. WTF? It’s dragging on and on. But we’re getting there.

The weekend looks like it might turn out not-too-bad. Blair took most of the weekend off and is likely playing in a hockey tournament. Which is awesome because I LOVE BEING COLD (insert sarcasm HERE)!! Ah well…at least I’ll get to have some one-on-one time with him. And since I’m really selfish, I’m looking forward to it. 🙂

AND the Oscars are this Sunday night, which is always a big deal for me. I’m not sure if I’m gonna have my annual Oscar party because I sorta didn’t realize how close they were and haven’t really talked to anyone about it. We’ll see what the weekend brings.

Okay, maybe “hate” is too strong a term but I do not enjoy them. I do not make them. I do not eat them, Sam I Am (*giggle*). Once in a blue moon I’ll have one – like if I’m at my parents’ and my dad happens to make them (and then I usually remember that I think they’re gross as I finish choke down my mouthful).

Months ago I told Blair I was going to let him sleep in and make him a beautiful batch of blueberry pancakes for breakfast. I got to work early on a Sunday morning, using up all of my fresh blueberries and whipped up a stack of pancakes. BUT as Blair’s biting into them he said “they don’t taste right” and then, “they taste funny.” Turns out the BRAND NEW BOX of pancake mix that I’d opened (seriously just opened that morning) had expired in like, 2006. THAT should tell you how often I make pancakes. (More than likely they were bought by my ex in 2005 and I failed to throw the box at him when we split up.)

Needless to say, Blair didn’t have pancakes that morning and I was super-pissed that I wasted all my effing blueberries.

Anyway, my mom emailed me earlier today inviting me to a Pancake Supper with her and my dad, my nephews and my sister-in-law. But since I don’t like pancakes I rejected the invite.

HOWEVER, being part Acadian (Acadien) I DO have a fancy for Potato Pancakes (YUM!) and decided that I would be semi-celebratory this evening and make a small batch of those.

My 94 year-old (Acadien) grandfather makes pretty perfect Potato Pancakes, but I haven’t had his in years so I made a cheat batch tonight – cheat meaning “easy/not-quite-as-superior/lazy/etc.” – but I have to toot my own horn hear (TOOT TOOT TOOT) and say that they turned out pretty good.

The Making of Perfection

The Finished Product

Anyway, kind of a lame post but at least it’s something. And my potato pancakes rocked!

Alrighty, so I’ve been promising certain people that I would post about my eye issue and pending eye surgery. First of all, let me tell you about my eyes. They are very blue (thanks Dad!) and therefore very light sensitive. I am ALWAYS wearing my sunglasses. I have the lightest eyes in my family. I’ve often been asked if I’m wearing contacts. I even had an employer corner me once, get right in my face and ask “are your eyes real??” My friend Francis recently argued with me about the color of my eyes stating they aren’t blue, they’re “turquoise” (which I don’t think they are – they’re “ice blue”). It’s always nice/weird/awkward when a stranger stops me on the street to comment about my eyes.

Blonde & Blue-eyed (and with a little more "beef" in my cheeks) many years ago

So here’s what happened: One Friday last March I noticed that my depth perception was a little off. I was making my way down the stairs at my office and couldn’t tell exactly where my feet were in relation to the stairs. I also had some vertigo. It was a little strange but I didn’t think much of it. The next night I had company and was constantly rubbing my eyes. My left eye was blurry and I figured they were just dry and I needed drops, but the drops didn’t seem to help. The blurriness stayed and Monday morning I called my eye doctor who told me to come in right away. During the eye exam the doctor freaked me out a little bit. She kept saying “I don’t know what this is. I’ve never seen this before.” So she made a call and sent me right over to the specialist, Dr. S.

After more tests and exams the specialist, Dr. S. said “I don’t know what this is. I’ve never seen this before” and told me he was sending an urgent referral to the eye care clinic in the City. The big question on my mind: “Is it cancer?” His response: “No. Well, I don’t want to say that and get your hopes up that it’s not. I don’t know.”

When my 3.5 year old nephew saw my eyes dilated he whispered "Spooky"

So, a few days later I was in the City at the clinic getting more tests done and finally seeing another specialist. Not cancer. Whew! What she said was that the protective membrane deep inside my eye detached and shifted. The membrane was putting pressure on other things and causing fluid buildup…blah blah blah. She wanted me to go right over to the surgeon, Dr. D. but of course, he’d already left for the day. BUT a week later I was back in the City to see that surgeon. And I’ve been down to see him several times since – the most recent just two weeks ago.

After an eye appointment here last month one eye "un-dilated" quicker than the other. My friends said I look like a serial killer in the picture.

My vision in my good eye (the right eye) is better than 20/20, but my vision in my left eye is now down to 20/40 and getting worse. And now we’re ready for surgery. But, of course, it’s just not that easy. There is such a big risk involved….25% chance of making it worse – of impairing my vision even more. What to do? What to do? Fortunately, I got a call today for a “second opinion” appointment with another surgeon in the City (Dr. O.) in a few months. This guy is supposed to be the absolute best around and since my appointment with Dr. D two weeks ago ended with him being super-pissed at me (actually, he’s pissed at what I’d repeated from Dr. S. – Dramarama {They have two VERY different opinions – complete opposite ends of the spectrum}) and I don’t think I would want him digging around inside my eye now anyway.

A little dilation

So now I will be waiting and hoping that my vision doesn’t get any worse between now and then. Fingers crossed, y’all.

Cheers!

Hey, if ya can’t have a little fun with your eye patch, what’s the point?? (On the way to the NKOTBSB concert in Montreal)

Ugh, I’ve been so incredibly blue lately. I need a kick in the ass to get out of my funk. I hate winter. I hate the blues. I hate feeling like a sack of crap.

I’m working on it, tho. Right now, tho, I wish I was home and cuddled up with Winston and snoozing the rest of the day away. But that’s not good. So, I will continue to sit at my desk and get thru my work and then I will go to the gym and eventually home to my cat whilst the Man goes to work. Boo.

So I’ve jumped on the Bucket-List-bandwagon because I’ve been really busy lazy lately with my posts and figured this would be a really easy way to get something down. 🙂 Plus, I thought it would be neat idea to give things some thought and figure out what I realllly want to do. Will they ever get Bucketed off? Who knows? But it’s fun to dream.

The SandyLand Bucket List

– Send a Message in a Bottle

– Confess “I Love You” to someone : {I am a true believer that every person deserves to know that he or she is loved…by someone. I think it’s important to tell others that they are loved. I know I would love to hear “I Love You” {I always do :)} so I think if the opportunity comes up, then why not?} *Just a note that I have obviously confessed my love to someone but I will continue to do it over the remainder of my lifetime, should the occasion arise.

– See a live shark, preferably a Great White (and possibly from inside a shark cage, but doubtful that that will EVER happen since I don’t like being in the water!)

– Visit a Haunted property. {I’m not sure why I want to do this….I HATE being scared. I mean, I love the rush from it but the idea of some sort of other worldly entity being near me, or me near it, scares the bejesus out of me. But…for some odd reason, I still think it would be fun to do. Ridiculous, I know.

– Finish my book (let it go, Sandy….let it go). {I started my book years ago. It’s a true story. It’s an important story. But, for some reason I’ve been hanging on to it, not being able to let go of it. It’s so personal. It’s my baby.}

– Be confident enough to walk the beach in a swimsuit (yikes!).

– Learn to play my guitar.

I love my guitar

– Drive a Race Car (aka RACE a race car). {I already have a lead foot and cruise around like I’m Mario Andretti. I’m sure I can handle a piece of machinery like that. 🙂

– Be part of (or witness) a flash mob. {A flash mob a la Oprah or Friends with Benefits. How COOL would that be?? I’d love to do it. Anyone in??? Hellllloooooo??}

Alrighty…years ago Matt Damon hosted a new season of SNL and opened the show with “the biggest headline of the summer – The Dance Off between rival exes, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. It was so funny and lame and I loved it. It became one of my favorite sketches. (Again, click the link above for the clip.)

And I admit, I LOVE a good dance off!! A year and a half ago, for my cousin Tanya’s (shout out!) 25th birthday, a crowd of us made our way to some karaoke bar in the City. Tanya and he (ex) boyfriend, Chris were/are really into karaoke, so that’s what the plan was. It wasn’t a busy spot but we had a blast. A bartender got the party really rolling when he karaoked {yes, I just made that word up!} New Orleans is Sinking by The Hip – I don’t think we left the dance floor after that and once the karaoke party was over, out rolled the video screen and the dance floor was packed. We had so much fun!

But Chris and I were being a little competitive and we decided to have our own little dance off. LAME! But hilarious!! We broke out the running man, the shopping cart, the lawn mower, the sprinkler. You name it, we danced it. And I want to toot my horn here and say I totally brought the prize home when Chris CHOKED on his last move. 🙂 I made myself proud.

Well, this past September, for Tanya’s 26th birthday, I headed into the City once again to celebrate. But we went to a different karaoke place and she has a different boyfriend. But to keep with tradition I challenged him and he accepted. The party this time was not as much fun….as we were the ONLY TWO on the dance floor and we made complete asses of ourselves and I think we both sort of choked. But it was still fun. And it’s good to know that Dean (the new guy) has a kooky sense of humor too.

I am looking forward to the next time I can show my MooOooves Like Jagger on the floor. 🙂